Multi-Family New Construction (5+ units)

Incorporate energy efficiency into your building's design from the very start.
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The Sponsors of Mass Save® can help integrate energy efficiency into your multi-family property from the ground up—reducing future energy and maintenance costs for both owners and tenants.

We offer financial incentives to promote the construction of high-performing, all-electric residential multi-family buildings within Sponsor service territories. Incentives are available for new construction buildings that meet program eligibility requirements, including qualifying for ENERGY STAR® and Passive House certification.

 

 

 

 

 

Building construction site and crane.

 

Multi-Family (5+ units)
Tier Base ENERGY STAR Passive House
Overview All-electric heating, cooking,
and clothes drying
 ENERGY STAR
Multi-Family
New Construction
(MFNC) v1.2		 Passive House

Performance Specification		 Low-rise: ≥15% savings above
baseline or HERS: ≤45
High-rise: Exceed baseline
ENERGY STAR MFNC v1.2		 Passive House certification
(Phius or PHI)

Incentives		 Low-rise: $1,500/Unit
High-rise: $1,000/Unit		 Low-rise: $2,500/Unit
High-rise: $1,750/Unit		 Both: $3,750/Unit
($750 Pre-Cert,
$3,000 Final Cert)
 Passive House adders
$5,000 Feasibility Study Incentive
Up to 75% Energy Modeling Costs ($500/Unit or $20,000/Project max)

Market Transformation adders*
Wi-Fi Connected Thermostat: $100/Unit
Induction Cooktop: $250/Unit
In-Unit Heat Pump Water Heater: $250/Unit
Centralized and Split-System Heat Pump Water Heater: $750/Unit
ENERGY STAR Certified Ground Source Heat Pump: $1,000/Unit
ENERGY STAR NextGen Certification (ENERGY STAR tier only): $250/Unit
DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes Certification (ENERGY STAR tier only): $250/Unit
High-rise Whole Building Infiltration Testing (Base and ENERGY STAR tier only):

ASTM E779 test results - 0.4 CFM/sf @75pa: $300/Unit
ASTM E779 test results - 0.25 CFM/sf @75pa: $400/Unit 

 

*The Market Transformation adders are designed to encourage participants to incorporate emerging equipment technology into their residential projects, to drive higher building performance while offering enhanced occupant experience. Adders are also available for advanced certifications from the Department of Energy and ENERGY STAR, which if achieved could qualify the building for 45L federal tax credits. Consult with a tax professional to determine eligibility. Market Transformation adders for multi-family buildings with 50 or more units are subject to Sponsor pre-approval.

 

 

  1. Confirm Eligibility
    View the Eligibility Tab to confirm the eligibility requirements.
  2. Register your Project

    [a] Low-Rise Buildings (3 Stories or Less):

    Contact a certified Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Rater to enroll your multi-family property for incentives. Your HERS Rater will guide you through the process and help ensure you receive all eligible incentives.

    [b] High-Rise Buildings (4 Stories or More), Multi-Family Buildings Pursuing Passive House Certification, or Buildings with Master-Metered HVAC:

    Register Your Project: Complete the Residential New Construction Multi-Family Registration Form and email it to [email protected].

    Dedicated Account Manager: After submission, a dedicated account manager will contact you within a few days to proceed with the next steps. For any questions, please email [email protected].

  • To qualify, residential multi-family and mixed-use new construction buildings with five or more units must meet the following criteria:
    • Be located within a Sponsor’s service territory in Massachusetts.
    • Utilize all electric for space conditioning, cooking, and clothes drying. While electrification is encouraged for domestic hot water systems, fossil fuel equipment may be used at this time.
    • Customers are not eligible for individual equipment rebates through the Mass Save Heating & Cooling programs.
    • See Program Terms & Conditions for full details.
  • Passive House Certification: For projects aiming for Passive House certification, the Mass Save Sponsors offer specialized incentives and support. Detailed information is available on the Passive House Incentive and Passive House Training pages.
  • Whole-Building Infiltration Testing: To ensure optimal energy efficiency, consider conducting whole-building infiltration testing. A list of approved firms to assist with this process can be found here.